Modeling of twin-screw reactive extrusion: application to alginate extraction

The context of this study is the mathematical modeling of a reactive extrusion process and its application to alginate extraction from brown algae. In this study, an extension of a dynamical model described by the authors in previous works is proposed. This model is a contribution to build a simulation tool useful for help to the prediction of the time and space evolution of a reaction in a twin-screw co-rotating extruder, that include control parameters (screw speed and flow rate) and geometrical parameters (screw profile and die design). Flow, viscosity and reaction descriptions were coupled in a semi-simplified model where some assumptions that were used to build it are discussed. Some simulations and measurements of residence time distribution, in the specific case of alginate extraction, are then shown.